Key Takeaways:
- Two climbing guides have been found dead after the Himlung Himal Base Camp avalanche
- Fourteen kitchen staff members remain missing as search operations continue
- A NNMGA/IFMGA rescue team led by Mingma G has reached the avalanche site and launched search efforts
- Heavy snowfall and continuous rain are believed to have triggered the avalanche
Two climbing guides have been found dead while 14 kitchen staff members remain missing after an avalanche struck Himlung Himal Base Camp in Manang on Sunday, according to the Nepal National Mountain Guide Association (NNMGA).
The association said a total of 16 people were reported missing following the avalanche, including 14 kitchen staff members and two climbing guides from different expedition companies. The two guides have since been located, but both were found deceased.
A four-member NNMGA/IFMGA rescue team led by mountain guide Mingma G has reached the accident site by Prabhu Helicopter and begun the search for the remaining missing workers. The team includes Pasang Kaji Sherpa, Ashish Gurung and Pemba Tsiring Sherpa.
"Four additional members of the rescue team are waiting at the airport and are ready to be deployed immediately as needed," the NNMGA said in an update.
Earlier, the association had placed an eight-member search and rescue team on standby at Tribhuvan International Airport. The team comprised Mingma Gyalje Sherpa, Pasang Kaji Sherpa, Pasang Rinzee Sherpa, Ashish Gurung, Tsering Pemba Sherpa, Bikram Karki, Dandu Sherpa and Pimba Tenjing Lama, general secretary of the NNMGA.
Three members of the IFMGA/NNMGA team led by Mingma G are currently at the base camp, while five additional IFMGA guides were preparing to travel to the mountain by helicopter. The rescue team has requested additional support as the search continues.
Bibhu Chand Thakur, president of Himalayan Holidays Nepal, said the company had 22 members stationed at the base camp, but only nine have been contacted since the avalanche occurred.
He said unstable communications in the area have made it difficult to verify the status and location of those still unaccounted for.
The avalanche struck amid continuous rainfall and heavy snowfall affecting Nepal's high mountain regions. Initial reports suggested 10 people were missing, but updated information from the NNMGA later increased the number to 16, including the two guides who have now been confirmed dead.
The NNMGA expressed condolences to the families of the deceased guides and said efforts to locate the remaining missing workers are continuing.
The incident comes as severe weather continues to affect mountaineering activities across Nepal, forcing expedition teams on several peaks to suspend operations and retreat to safer locations.